did you enjoy your labour?

[Fleur]

hj1981 don't be disappointed!
I firmly believe that all labours are different... your second time will be a different experience for you altogether, especially as you know what you are in for this time!

With my first I had gas, peth and then an epi after 6 hrs... I was tired, I had no idea it would take so long... but I got through the next birth with just gas & then 8hrs of labour with the 3rd with just gas too (even though it ended in a cs, I did the hard yards!)

This time around I am aiming for a VBAC, lots of mental preparation... although I know anything can happen I keep a positive attitude, and I am looking forward to the experience

And every birth is exciting and thrilling whether 1st or 4th or (I imagine) the 10th!... remember the only outcome that really matters is a healthy bub & mum, you shouldn't feel like you have to do it a particular way for anyone!

Good luck next time and don't be disappointed, be proud of what you did!

[Olive]

Everytime i think about my Labour i get upset.
I think i worried too much instead of going with the flo etc...
and i had so much high expectations of what i wanted and how i wanted it too go, and when it went differently it broke my heart - still does!
I feel like i let DH down, and took alot away from the whole experience when i had a epi, no matter how low my dose was, i shouldn't of taken it!!!

I hope 2nd time around i can relax and enjoy ever single second of it - but im also worried that second time round wont be as exciting for DH and everyone else!

hun i was dissapointed with my first labour too, i ended up with PND and i attribute alot of it to the birth, i went with the flow didnt have any idea what i was in for
but second time i had a doula, a birthplan and bellybelly and all went just the way i wanted!!

[Tegam]

And every birth is exciting and thrilling whether 1st or 4th or (I imagine) the 10th!... remember the only outcome that really matters is a healthy bub & mum, you shouldn't feel like you have to do it a particular way for anyone!

Good luck next time and don't be disappointed, be proud of what you did!

:yeahthat:

[~Serenity~]

well my first was mostly ok but i got so high on gas that when he was born i was so relieved i forgot about him the second was posterior so more painful and she was 5 weeks early so more drs had my grandma instead of hubby so no real help and then she got whisked away and my last was more of a waters broke lucky i was at the hosp for a check then a sudden urge to push and out he flew i felt alil ripped of actually and he was a 30 weeker so he got taken straight away to so this time im hoping will be alot better with good support ppl and im hoping for a nice 5 hr labour and more active and less gas so i remember to give them a cuddle...but in the end im happy with a healthy baby

[young_mumma87]

i dont thing i liked it but it was stil amazing.... hmmm where do i start????..i got my first contraction at 5pm which woke me on the sat 2nd. june had a lil bit of a show at 11pm..but my contractions still werent set in presice mins apart i told mum i had to go to the hosi at bout 2.15 i still hadnt slept... the hosi was also 20 ks away so thats why i didnt leave it so long... i got to the hosi and they sed i was bout 3-4cm dialated but she couldnt feel prop so she had to call the doc... the doc came in at bout 6.30am n he was THE BEST gyno EVER he gave me the internal and it was REALLY REALLY painful i was trying to climb off the bed.. and he sed that i had a high cervix and that why i hurt and then he patted me on my knee and said that "we goot a big baby in an awkward position so im going to break your waters soon and then your having an epidural" hmmm... that was interesting to say the least it did scare me a lil bit..then at aroung 12pm (still no sleep this is sunday the 3rd of june) the doc came in and sed time to break your water and i thought that it would hurt as much as the internal did!! boy was i WRONG!!! i screamed that hard that my mum nearly fainted as i screamed in pain...then i wanted to have a shower and the midwives said that would be ok coz the anethesist wouldnt be there fora bit so iust get in the shower and he walks in to give me the epidural!! oh they had already giving me pethedine before they broke my waters not that it helped at all!!! so i sat upright with mum infornt on getting mentally prepared to holdvery still... and all the anethesist could say was that the tattoo on my back waznt centered so i inhaled deep on the gas to suddenly sit straight up and say mum im dying!! mum calmed me down and we tried againg only for the "dying" thing to happen again it was then he midwives realised that the gas was on half and half and that he "dying" was actually me almost fainting!! 4 goes later the epidural was in and i was numb!! 6 hours past and they decided to do an internal nly to realieze that he was halfway down and almost crowning!! thanks guys!! so the it was action station and i was rahter delirious by this stage still no sleep!! coz i was so numb and couldt push the doc literaly had his foot up on the end of the bed pulling out my baby!! and at 6.39pm (26hrs after first contarction) my DS was born weighing in at 8pd 3oz n Very healthy!! me on the other hand had a round 30 stiches n later found out that i had to have an anal reconstruction i tore so much!! it took me 16 mths not to be sore down there....if i have another one i willdef be asking fo a c-section!!!

[*EJ*]

Throughout my first labour i was saying never again over and over, it took so long i was also saying i just can't do this anymore... but we got there eventually. It took a few weeks to think that maybe it wasn't so bad and wow, i gave birth to a baby!!!! Then i had really good thoughts about it.

Second time around was heaps quicker and i was saying never again at knowing what was ahead of me but it was totally different and i really did enjoy it. I was sitting on the bed, showered and dressed and feeling like a million bucks an hour or so after the birth. So excited that my boy was here and it wasn't another days worth of labour.

Not sure if i'll go back for a third though...

[shellbell3]

'Enjoyed' wouldn't be the word I'd use for mine, don't like pain or discomfort. I wouldn't say I disliked it but if I did have a 3rd I wouldn't be looking forward to the whole birth part, just the final product. I'd like to just skip it to holding my new baby.

[beau_9]

i would reply no....it was by far the hardest thing i've ever had to go through. extremely painful and half way through i was exhausted. i had labour pains approx 16hrs and no sleep, before being in heavy active labour for another 16hrs, before having a emergency c-section. bub was posterior and laying traverse and ds head got stuck in my pelvis and no chance of coming out naturally. i'm glad i got to experience labour though, and feel so proud of myself for handling the whole experience (i feel) with strength and bravery, even though i had to have drugs to get through it. DH was amazing and i couldn't have done it without him.
i had peth, gas, an epi that wore off after 1 1/2hrs, a epi top up that wore off after another hr, then a spinal block for the ceasar. i was sucking on the gas whilst they wheeled me into theatre an hr after i'd had the epi.
on the plus side, i loved my ceasar, have nothing negative to say about the whole procedure (i think cause i was so exhausted and was really worried about the health of bub that i didn't care by this stage), it was harder to recover but i love my DS, and feel so proud that i gave birth to him, even though it wasn't naturally....

[sunshine_sieben]

I enjoyed it. I was so excited when I first went into labour. I welcomed every contraction. It did feel like a right of passage to me.
There are 3 moments I did not enjoy at all.
1) I hated feeling really sick and having to vomit when labour became really intense all of a sudden.
2) I hated having to drive to the hospital in borad daylight, feeling slightly out of it and feeling like I might have to vomit any second
3) I didn't like the crowning. It burnt so much and I just wanted to get it over and done with. Maybe I should have given myself a little more time and breathed the head out cause i ended up tearing a little.
I also didn't like being stitched up at the end. It hurt more than the crowning. Or maybe it just seemed that way as my hormones weren't helping me as much.

I loved being able to take my dog for a walk with my mum during early labour
I loved that I managed to get a little sleep during early labour while DH and I watched Ice Age
I loved managing at home for 10 hours
I loved being able to call my midwife and get advice during the day
I loved getting to the birth centre and being greeted by a very lovely midwife who looked after me until my midwife arrived.
I loved being cheered on and encouraged to "make some noise"
I loved that my midwife trusted in my body and didn't bother me with internal exams
I loved loved loved getting into the birth pool
I loved loved loved loved loved it when DD floated out and was placed into my arms.
I loved when the midwife who came to assist with the waterbirth (was the same midwife who looked after me in the beginning) came to me later on and thanked me for being allowed to be part of these special moments.
I loved being able to carry DD into my in-laws house so they could meet her - only 4 hours after she was born.
I loved having my mum stay with us and help with looking after a newborn.

It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about DD's birth. It was so perfect. Painful? No doubt. Awe inspiring? Definitely

Sasa

[jamakin]

The Birth of my DS was definatley enjoyable, it was a speedy natural birth. scary and a bit painful but absolutly amazing!
It was like a comedy, late night shopping on thursday DH and i were in Borders bookstore him on one side me on the other, i was 39 weeks, when all of a sudden my waters broke in a huge gush!! it was so embarrasing! we ran out of there (proberbly more like a fast walk - in my state!) that was at 7:30pm i wasn't really having contractions so we went home and called the hospital, they told me to have a shower and come in, as i was getting ready i started to get pains like period pain, i didn't even realise that they were my contractions. it wasn't till we were driving to the hospital that they started getting a bit stronger and were now coming in waves - 2 mins apart!! i'm sure DH broke some road rules! They were so busy at the hospital that there were no rooms or labour suites available, i was put into a small consultation room to wait, no one thought i was in labour as i was still talking and smiling (i was excited knowing i was soon to meet our baby) i think they were almost going to send me home. but i insisted on an internal, lucky because i was 9cm dialated!!!! we were going to have this baby soon! that was pretty scary, everything definatley intensified, but i'm kinda glad i didnt have too much time to think about things, natural instincts took over and i just had to follow what my body was telling me to do.
My midwife was absolutley amazing, as was DH, he was very positive and encouraging the whole time.
After an hour of pushing DS was born!! (only 4 hours since my waters broke in borders) it was the most amazing experiance. i have never felt such love, words cant even describe. I was so lucky it was drug free and i had no tearing!! It was a quick labour, hard and painful at times but i would say it was definatley bareable and better than i could ever have imagined.. even enjoyable.
i just hope i'm that lucky next time!

Just realised this sounds like a birth story! - i never did get round to doing one - sorry its so long!

[Olive]

wow jamakin!! awesome labour!! did you tell boarders that your waters had broken on there floors!??

[jamakin]

Thanks AJP, i was so embarassed i didn't even think about telling them.. lol.. i couldn't get out of there fast enough!!

[Olive]

dont worry i would have done the same!!

[AliBaby]

Jamakin- thanks for sharing. What a great story!!!

[OceanPrincess]

How come I missed this thread? Great one, AJP!

My labour was looong, 30 hours... I laboured at home with my DH, mum and sister - great. Got to hosp, was mostly left alone until I asked for some gas. Had an awesome midwife, an EXCELLENT Obs, a very patient team of supporters - DH, mum and sis all ended up in the room with me. 14 hours in the delivery room - eventually an assisted delivery (vacuum plus episiotomy) but I was surrounded by people I loved and trusted and together we all brought my DD into the room.

I might have done the hard work but I couldn't have done it without all them telling me I could!

It was very emotional and draining but so fantastic. Tears in my eyes now thinking back on it.

Can't wait to do it again.

[Tan2705]

I have mixed emotions about my labour..,

I didn't have twinge or a tweake or any pre labour pains, not even an BH!! At my last OB appointment *41+2* he still couldn't preform a SNS, my cervix was still extremely thick and high, so suggested we head to hospital the next morning so to induce labour. He inserted a cervadil (SP?) and we waited and waited and waited - 24 hours and nothing! Next morning he managed a SNS and in the process told us he thought he had nicked bub's head - he had and DS still has the scar on the back of his lil noggin to prove it - bub was ready to go but my cervix wasn't giving in without a fight HAHA 11am and they hooked me up to the synto drip and an hour later i had my first contraction.. they came so hard and fast it was unbearable i told the midwife i was in pain and she replied "oh hunny you've only just started you've got awhile to go yet" five minutes later i insisted that things were happening and i was most definately in pain and wanted some relief so she examined me discovered after an hour and a half i was already 7 cm dilated - by this stage i was loudly questioning every mother who had more than one child sanity "WHO THE F*** WOULD DO THIS MORE THAN ONCE" she kindly passed me the gas and another half hour later and it was time to push, four pushes and i had my beautiful baby boy all 9lb 10 of him! It wasn't a horrific labour but it wasn't entirely pleasent either - I truely believe there is something to be said for the natural progression of labour and will decline any offers of inducement in the future!

[Olive]

[Lolli]

I loved labour the second time round. It was awesome Painful, definately, but I'd actually describe it as fun and I'd happily do it again, just for the rush of it (never mind the baby at the end). It was a seriously spiritual, uplifting experience.

Birthing as an extreme sport, anyone?